Ransomware is spreading at an alarming rate – in fact, cybersecurity experts are calling it an epidemic. And while the FBI advises organizations not to pay hackers to unlock files, many businesses are forced to hand over large sums of money in the form of untraceable bitcoins. The University of Calgary, for example, reportedly paid $20,000 to cyberthieves in exchange for a decryption key.
A ransomware attack typically starts when someone clicks on a pop-up ad from an infected website or opens a malicious (often cleverly disguised) attachment in an email. The malware begins encrypting files on local drives, attached drives, backup drives, and potentially other computers on the same network. You may not even realize you were attacked until your data is inaccessible and you see a ransom message. At this point, all of your business data – client files, banking information, accounting records, employee files – is controlled by criminals. Now what?!
“If your files aren’t backed up and retrievable, it’s a fairly dire situation,” explains Sherif Mansour, Manager, IT Services at Zantek. “Even if you pay the ransom, it could take weeks to regain access to your files and you could be re-infected the next day.”
Sherif recommends a backup and disaster recovery solution, like Datto. It takes snapshot-based, incremental backups as frequently as every five minutes to create a series of recovery points. If your business suffers a ransomware attack, this disaster recovery software allows you to roll-back your data to a time before the corruption occurred. There are two major benefits: you don’t need to pay the ransom to get your data back and, since you are restoring to a point before the ransomware infected your systems, you can be certain everything is clean and the malware can’t be triggered again.
Takeaway – If you don’t already have a disaster recovery solution, get one!
If you can’t retrieve recent backed-up data, a ransomware attack will bring your business to a grinding halt. A backup solution is an essential part of any business continuity plan – and it’s affordable. For a small business, Datto has solutions that start at $95 per month. You can rest easy knowing that you can quickly recover files if a disaster of any kind hits your business.
Relevant links:
- Article: Tips to prevent ransomware attacks
- eBook: The Business Guide To Ransomware by Datto
- Article: Free vs. managed antivirus solutions